


The Cook

by TombRomance



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-02-25 21:21:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13221510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TombRomance/pseuds/TombRomance
Summary: Joline, a young chef on the rise, can never resist a request from her childhood friend Armitage Hux, General of the Finalizer. When he asks her to take over as the head chef for the higher-ranking officers, she's exposed to a world of chaos. Kylo Ren's temper tantrums, Phasma's constant need to be right, Hux's constant need to protect Joline, the Resistance, and so much more, how is a girl supposed to figure out what she wants for her future?Armitage Hux x OC x Kylo Ren.





	1. Chapter 1: Curiosity

Chapter 1: Curiosity 

The air sparked with curiosity throughout the Finalizer and its crew. Last week General Hux fired the higher-ranking officer’s chef, leaving them with the mediocre cooks the rest of the ship’s crew used. To say that the other officers were displease would be an understatement, but what drew the curious nature of the others more, is that the same day he ordered an emergency pick up. Instead of turning the ship to Coruscant, the General sent a one of the smaller ships to fetch whatever he sought, and today was the day the Finalizer met up with the package. 

Many of the Stormtroopers arrived at the docking bay, their E-11 Blaster Rifles in tow, as they waited for the ship to clear docking procedures. Kylo Ren stalked through the halls of the Finalizer, curiosity consuming him as well. It wasn’t often that the Knight of Ren and Lieutenant Phasma were left out of the loop, neither of the two liked the situation very much, and they were both now heading to the docking bay. In preparation, General Hux allotted the docking procedures to the Knight, leaving the bridge as soon as word came that the ship was near, lieutenant Phasma quick behind to ensure safety, if anything were to arise. Once Kylo Ren cleared the officers ship for docking, he followed the other two to the bay.

There were many rumors along the lower ranks, some thought that General Hux was bringing a mistress of his aboard -this thought, the most absurd of the lot- and others merely thought it was the need to separate the higher ranked offers chef from the rest. Then there were the few who thought it was a little of both, naturally these rumors were shut down quickly by their higher ups.

The docking bay buzzed with quiet whispers, even when the domineering Knight rounded the corner. Though many of the rumors were laughable the Knight of Ren amused some of them, when he was alone and allowed to do so. It was rather strange, that tactics used by the General used to bring aboard whomever, or whatever, was on that ship. All sounds quieted when the Officer’s Ship landed safely in the area. The Stormtroopers, along with their leader, changed their posture to one of an impending attack when the doors started opening.

~*~*~

A warm gust of wind tore through The Endeavor as the doors slowly hissed open. Joline sighed, putting her hands out as if to break the wind before it hit her face at such an uncomfortable speed. Her efforts were in vain, as the small wind seemed to cut against her face and tore a few loosely tied tresses from the First Order dress code bun. She glanced over her shoulders, hearing the chuckles from the two pilots behind her -the Stormtrooper not hinting at any amusement. With another sigh, she dropped her hands to her side, there wasn’t anything she could do now, but fix her hair when this was over with. 

Despite the warm air whipping past her a moment ago, a chill settled into The Endeavor once all things were settled. Joline was welcomed by a small squadron of Stormtroopers pointing their blasters at her, just as a familiar red head stepped forward. Her unsure features quickly shifted into a bright smile, when she locked eyes onto the General. Without any hesitation, she marched to the General ignoring the blasters pointed in her direction. 

“I supposed it would be inappropriate if I called you Armitage.” She chuckled, keeping her voice between them.

The General nodded curtly, “I trust your trip went well.”

“She gets motion sick.” One of the pilots sighed, earning a glance from the General.

“I also suppose it would be inappropriate to give you a hug.” Joline called the red head’s attention back to her.

Again, he nodded curtly, but took her into his arms regardless of his answer. The two took in deep breaths of the other, before parting once again. It was odd seeing such a difference from the young boy she grew up with, he wasn’t so polished then. Hux lightly pushed her away moments later with a reassuring glance, making sure there were no hurt feelings. There was still so much to do. Almost as if the hug didn’t happen, the General started barking orders to the lower members who were meant to move her in, before addressing her again. These differences were going to be interesting to get used to, she thought, watching as others jumped into action.

“I am unsure if I’m going to take you on your offer.” She blurted out when his eyes met hers again. “I’m only here because you asked it of me.”

For a fraction of a second Hux’s eyes softened and a gentle smile touched his lips, he had forgotten all about her frank conversation style. “That is all I ask. You have six months to decide on the offer. For now, we’ll worry about moving you in and getting you well acquainted with those you’ll be working with, and for.” He turned on his heels and walked towards the Stormtroopers, whose blasters were lowered once again.

“Six months?” she gasped, stumbling over herself to follow. “I thought I was only here until your dinner with Emperor Snoke.” 

“You are, I thought it best to acclimate you to this environment, before you cooked for such a figure.” He paused, regarding her with his eyes. “Will that be a problem?”

“N-no sir.” She breathed, remember the little First Order training she got.

“Good, tonight you’ll be introduced to the officers you’ll be cooking for. Tomorrow morning you’ll wake up at 0400 to meet your fellow cooks, and have breakfast made by 0500. Is that clear?”

“I’d rather start tonight.” Joline replied, “Sir.”

“You need the rest.” Hux’s voice lowered so only she could hear, as they passed the Stormtroopers.

“I’m well rested from the trip, right now I’m dying to get a look at the kitchen.”

“Fine,” Hux sighed, calling over two others wearing aprons. “These are the people you’ll be working with. Escort her to the kitchen, you can get the introductions done there.”

“Yes sir.” The two breathed in unison.

“They will show you to the Officers galley once you are finished, so you can meet the officers.” He paused, before lowering his voice again “Feel free to call if you need anything.” 

“Understood,” she winked briefly, before leaving with the other two.

At first the small group of three remained completely silent as they walked through the Finalizer’s halls. Periodically a Stormtrooper or two would pass them, nodding before disappearing down another corridor. Almost all, Star Destroyer Class ships had the same lay outs, and all one would need to do was glance at their personal blueprints. When they arrived to the largest mess hall Joline had ever seen, she let out an astonished gasp. She thanked the heavens that she wasn’t the one who had to clean the area, as the two others continued through the lunch madness.

“It seems I have chosen the worst time to arrive.” Joline sighed, glancing at the two.

“Not at all, for the most part they serve themselves, we just make sure nothing is empty for long.” The brunet female smiled. 

“It’s nice not having to worry about feeding the higher-ranking officers anymore.” The blond male finished.

“I’ll help out with the lunch rush, then we’ll do introductions and I’ll assess what I can make them for dinner.”

With that said Joline pulled her traveling jacket off, tossing it onto the coatrack outside the kitchen employee door. She didn’t have the codes to the door, so she waited patiently at the entrance. Both chefs glanced at each other, watching as Joline glanced around the room. Working in a restaurant wasn’t anything like this, so many people walked through the lines grabbing whatever appealed to them before sitting down. The cafeteria astounded her, she could put both the restaurant and her home in the area and still have enough room to build a decent sized building in the space that was left.

Once inside of the kitchen, Joline quickly pulled an apron on and moved to a station. Her fingers gripping onto a spoon before dipping it into the large pot on the burner. It was a broth, saturated with far too much cardamom for her liking, but from the looks of it, the broth would be poured over some meat and rice. Those would calm the cardamom taste, which made her less willing to change the whole recipe. She then tossed the tasting spoon into the sink, before dancing over to one of the food slots and putting more biscuits in place. The chef’s glanced as she started working, a pleasant smile touching her lips.

“How long have you worked in a kitchen?”

“Since I can remember.” Joline smiled, serving a Stormtrooper.

The Lunch hour passed rather quickly, and way smoother than it had been for a long while. It didn’t matter that the entire cooking staff just met Joline, they already loved her. She was pleasant and exceptionally helpful. Once she could take a breather, Joline walked into the walk-in fridge with a datapad. They had the staple foods every kitchen has, along with a few items she hadn’t seen often. Either way, she’d be able to do quite a bit with what they have, as well as, the few foods she’d managed to sneak in. 

“I’m sorry, I completely forgot to introduce myself.” She smiled, glancing back at the two. “Joline.”

“Viloli,” The woman, who escorted Joey to the kitchen smiled, partially bowing. “Tremarc is my normal partner, we cook during the day shifts. Loonreh and Droop are the night shift chefs. They’ve been helping us out while we awaited your arrival.” She hummed, pointing to a human, Bith, and Rodian, she herself being Mandalorian. 

“It’s very nice to meet you all.” Joline hummed, “If either of you need anything, at any time, please do not hesitate to contact me.” She smiled, closing the refrigerator behind her. “I am grateful of everything you did, and for being so friendly.” 

“We’re going to get some sleep.” Loonreh hummed, exiting the kitchen with Droop.

“Good night.” Joline and the others called.

“Do you need help setting up for their dinner?” Tremarc asked, redirecting his attention to Joline.

“Not at all, I’m only feeding three people, “she smiled “So, if you need any help please don’t hesitate.” 

They three chatted absently as they started working on dinner and dessert. Much of it was Viloli and Tremarc asking Joline questions on what it was like working for the second most famous chef in the galaxy. Viloli laughed particularly hard at Joline’s story, when she was training to make her mentors special dish, and she destroyed the meat, and substituted it with a vegetable. Ending with Joline cleaning the entire kitchen by herself with, a tooth brush and a small bucket.

“Oh, I’ll have a guard escort you to the officer’s dining area.” Tremarc hummed, seeing the time. “You have ten minutes or so before they get there.”

“Thanks.”

Two men approached slowly, taking the tray’s Joline handed them, she herself taking the general’s food. Whenever an important figure came to the restaurant she was currently employed, the head chef would personally deliver their food. Now, she was sure they wouldn’t want her to do this every time -it was messy and got in the way of cleaning- but the general had asked for her to meet those she’d be cooking for. The three traveled down the long corridors, turning left, right, and then left once more, before arriving to a bedroom sized dining area. Three officers sat neatly at the tables, pausing to look at the small woman, but soon turning to continue their conversation.

“Is this the cook?” The blond-haired woman asked, in a less than enthusiastic tone.

“Yes, Phasma, Kylo Ren, this is Joline. Joline, these are the officers you will be cooking for.” Hux breathed, locking his calm orbs onto her nervous ones. “This is Kylo Ren, of the Knights of Ren.” A low sound, akin to a warning danced through his voice as he introduced the man in all black with skin the color of fresh milk. “and this is Captain Phasma, she’s in charge of the Stormtroopers we have on ship.” 

“If any of my men give you a rough time, please let me know.” She hummed, nodding a slight greeting to Joey.

“From what I’ve seen, they are very respectable.” Joey smiled slightly, “I don’t envision anything happening.”

“You’ve interreacted with the Stormtroopers?” She breathed, raising a delicate brow.

“I served them lunch, and helped to make some of their dinner.” Joline smiled, brightly. 

“Sit down, General Hux tells us that you’ve never worked for the military before?”

“I applied once, but I wasn’t at all good at anything really.” 

A deep-set blush hazed Joline’s heart shaped face. She had indeed signed up for any position in the First Order, but she was too clumsy to be a foot soldier -despite how hard her drill Sargent tried to “fix” that. She wore glasses, so she didn’t meet the vision aspect of their pilots, and technology seemed to die a horrible death when around her. After six rejections, Joline decided to serve those who commanded would be the only way she’d contribute to the First Order. Cooking was her thing, she even went as far as to serve under some of the best chefs around. 

“I see,” Phasma smiled, glancing down to her plate. “What have you made for us today.”

Joline beamed, excited to explain her meal to them. “I made a simple cream Risotto with braised Fish and a warm salad.” 

“It looks beautiful.” Hux’s voice relaxed ever so softly.

“First rule in cooking: You eat with your eyes initially.” She smiled brightly. “Anyways, I was hoping that all of you could make a list of things you like to eat, things you’d rather avoid, any allergies, and any other information you think I should know.”

“For?”

The harsh sound of Kylo Ren’s metallic voice, echoed through the room, drawing Joline’s attention instantly. Her features contorted ever so slightly, echoing more questions than fear. His helm cocking to the side, curious as to what was going on in her mind. 

“Well I want to make sure I’m feeding you exactly what you like, and I really don’t want to spark an allergic reaction.”

A moment of silence echoed through the room, and for that moment Joline feared she’d been too rude to the Commander. Her lips contorted into a nervous smile, as she pushed the datapad towards Phasma and Kylo Ren. It would be best if she let them enjoy their meals, without her presence, and honestly, she’d rather clean the kitchen than be under the Knights stare another moment. Rumors of the Knight of Ren echoed through the universe, tales of his cold-hearted punishments and eerily mechanical voice, slowly made their way to the quiet cook.

Joline licked her lips nervously, before locking her stare to the sterile mask. “I have cleaning to do,” she started, “please take your time with those, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Joline, before you leave, here’s your code to the kitchen area.” Hux muttered, a tone of protectiveness touching his voice. “This also has the information on your room and the ship. Tomorrow, at some point, our doctors would like to examine you.”

“Thank you.”

With the subtitle dismissal, Joline made her way back to the kitchen. Things were much quieter when she strolled through the employee entrance, it was that precious moment when kitchen staff could be themselves and relax. The others already have the counters sparkling and cleared off, Viloli’s laugh bounced from the walls, as she sipped her wine.

“Mh, Joline,” she purred, hopping off the kitchen stool. “I have a glass for you, how was your meeting with the officers?”

“Good…ish,” Joline sighed, taking the wine glass. “Is, Commander Ren always so….”

“Domineering.”

“Scary.”

“Rude.”

They were questions, and yet there was no sound of it, more like statements. Viloli settled back into her seat, her fingers beckoning Joey to join her. Joline shook her head lightly, her lips taking in a sip of her drink. None of those words described what she meant. She wouldn’t consider his questions rude, and where as his stature was rather intimidating she didn’t find that scary. No, what she meant to ask was distant. Without meaning to, they had answered her question, the Commander was indeed distant

“He just seems so… lonely.”

This was the first time in a long time, she found herself holding onto the word so, so much. It nearly felt like she was a teen again, talking to her best friends about… well boys in the First Order schools. Joline’s cheeks flared, thinking on those old days, and seeing how things had changed, how much she had changed. Both Viloli and Tremarc laughed rather loudly at Joey’s statement, as if it were something they’d never thought of.

“He created his own situation,” Tremarc sighed, taking a seat. “I have no sympathy for him.”

“I guess,” Joline hummed, taking a much larger sip of the blood red liquid. “It’s just… kind of sad.”

“You’ll learn soon enough,” Viloli hummed, patting the other females knee. “So, should we call you Joline, or would you prefer another name?”

“Joey works, actually, I usually prefer it.” She chuckled, a fond smile touching her lips. “The only person who calls me Joline is General Hux.”

The two glanced at each other, knowingly, before looking back to the dark-haired woman. Viloli smiled slyly, as she sank comfortably into her seat, her eyes dancing along the near perfect posture of the other female. Joline glanced questioningly to Tremarc, asking him what was going on, and why she felt like an investigation was going to happen.

“So, could you settle something for us?” Viloli purred smoothly.

“Um… sure… I’ll try my best.”

“There are have been rumors about his sudden urge to fire the last chef, and then how he secretly sent for you…” she allowed her words to hint at her question. “and from the way you talk about him, there must be some truth to the rumors… so what exactly is your relationship with our beloved General?”

“Oh,” Joey chuckled halfheartedly. “Is that all? The general and I are old friends, when my parents passed, his father took me in.”

“That’s so sweet!” Viloli cooed, some disappointment laced in her words. “You guys must be so close!”

“Nearly siblings…” Tremarc responded, sending Viloli a stare.

The light sound of the door swishing open, drew their attention away from the conversation. Both Droop and Loonreh rounded the corner, bright smiled very apparent on their faces. Joey smiled, slightly waving to the men. She hadn’t realized how late it was, not until the heaviness of the ship gravity seemed to pull sleepily at her eyes. She smiled brightly, before sliding down the side of the stool, it was late, and she still had to find her room.

“Whelp, I’m going to sleep. Good night boys, let me know if you need anything.” Joey hummed, patting Droop on the shoulder.

“Night kiddo.” Loonreh smiled. “Your room is on the Officers floor, I think the closest to the shoot.”

“Thanks, that helps a lot.”

The halls echoed with each step she took, most stormtroopers and almost all the technicians were in bed. Now was the only time the janitors could clean the ship to the general’s expectations, and the ship ran on a skeleton crew at nights, leaving Joey alone in the halls. Her fingers slid along the sleek silver walls, taking in the cold chill of space. Like a normal home, the kitchen was at least twenty degrees warmer. The only difference here being that the kitchen was the normal temperature of a home, and the ship nearly thirty degrees cooler. Once in her room, she would need to bundle up, until she found a way to get used to the cold of the ship. IF she found her room, that is.

Her first problem was finding the officers level, which on most star destroyers was the sixth level, this one not so much. Joey huffed, finally pulling out the map she was given before arriving to the ship. The data pad warmed her ice like fingers, as she tapped the screen. Two floors higher than she originally thought, her room was even highlighted -something Armitage must have done, knowing she’d get lost on her first week. Her stoic features, melted into a warmer smile as she marched to the shoot. They certainly needed to catch up, even if it had to be in secret. Speaking with those in the kitchen, Joey now understood why Armitage wanted some level of secrecy on their past.

“Here we go,” she purred, finally reaching her room.

Heat rolled over her chilled features when the door opened, the heat nearly overwhelming at first but soon became welcomed. A stinging sensation radiated through her chilled bones, as she took in the rooms design. One was welcomed by a small living area, and to the far right was a small kitchen. There were large French doors behind the black couch, leading to what she assumed was her bedroom. Joey hummed, seeing the familiar red-haired man lying on the couch.

“I thought you’d be in bed by now.” She cooed, stepping more into the room.

“Normally, but I was waiting to see how the kitchen staff was treating you.” He groaned, sleep cracking his voice, as his large fingers rubbed his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Nearly 1200 hours.” She chuckled, tiredly. “I enjoy everyone, though I’m sure Commander Ren isn’t a fan of mine.”

Hux snorted, as he pulled himself into a slightly slouching position. “He doesn’t like anyone. So, flying still makes you sick?”

“Shut up,” Joey sighed, plopping next to him. “I’m sure you still get the heebie-jeebies when you see little kids’ teeth.”

“Hey, they have a whole set of teeth under them, and they look sharp and are tiny.”

They both chuckled, settling in a more comfortable position. The general settled into the back of the couch, both arms splayed over the back, as Joey rested her body into his, head on his shoulder. It was comfortable. Familiar. Welcomed. Joey yawned, breathing in his scent.

“It’s late,” Armitage yawned, shifting more into the couch. “You really should go to bed sooner than this…”

“You wanted me to bond with the staff,” Joline retorted quietly. “Look at whose talking, you’re the one galivanting around in girl’s rooms.”

“We’ll catch up during breakfast.” He hummed, drawing her closer to his body.

“Good… I missed you.”

Her voice quiet and lethargic, as sleep slowed the cadence of her words. Before the general could respond back, he was greeted with quiet snores. A smile warmed his features, as he snuggled more into the cushions. There were worse places to be trapped for the night, and at least this way, he knew she was safe.

“I…missed you too.”


	2. Kindness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: First of, I do want to apologize with my slow posting, I’ve been having some family and work issues that bled into my writing time. I’m a few pages in with chapter 3, and I have a fairly good outline for the next few chapters, so we’ll see what comes up. Secondly, I’m so excited with the number of followers this story already has! Though this hasn’t come up yet, I have a sneaking suspicious someone is going to ask the question of why General Hux is out of character. My answer to this question -even though I don’t think his is too out of character- is every person is different around different groups, and Joline is his old friend. She takes the weight of the world from his shoulders, makes him a better and happier person… As always thank you for reading!

Chapter 2: Kindness

Hux sighed, the uncomfortable feeling of sleeping on a couch hurting every inch of his body. It’s been such a long time since he last made the bad decision of sleeping upright, his body screaming for him to remedy the situation. His hips shifted, drawing the weight on his chest more to the left. With a mighty yawn, he glanced down to look at the familiar mass. The feeling was almost instant, his heart warming with memories of nights spent talking till the wee hours. She, truly being his only confidant. Only she knew the abuses of his home life, and only she saw the quite disappointment of his father at whatever he does. Joline was the only salvation he had at home, and now she was here, making life on The Finalizer bearable.

Joey shifted in her sleep, drawing the general’s attention back to the here and now. Armitage only had two choices, one, he could try his best to sneak away, and two, he could simply wake her so they both could start the day. If he were to go with his first option, Joey would instantly wrap her arms around his waist, groaning like a child when their parents took away their play thing, but it was too early to wake her for work. The room was quiet, arming him with the hopes she’d fall back asleep if he slipped from her grip quickly. 

He is well-aware of what it would look like if he were spotted leaving her room at 0300 hours, especially with the rumors going around, and he wanted to avoid that. She didn’t deserve rumors going about, and god knew he didn’t want to deal with it. Joey sighed sweetly, digging her face more into his shoulder, as she shifted in her sleep. It always astounded Hux, at how Joline never seemed to be bothered by sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. Her bright eyes fluttered open, sending a warm panic through his heart.

“Morning,” Joline hummed, voice straining as she stretched. “What time is it?”

“0315 hours,” he sighed, leaning his head back. “How did I wake you?”

“Shoot, I’m late.” Joey yelped, shooting from her position. “Can’t be late for my first day at work,” she chuckled, as she bolted for the bathroom.

The general chuckled, glancing down at his wrinkled uniform with small smudges of drool, he knew what she left off. He was well known for being stern and regimented, and being such a long-time friend, she definitely was hinted to that. He hummed quietly, before shuffling out of the room, times have changed, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it. Joline rushed from the bathroom like a storm, nearly fifteen minutes later, forcing her arms into her First Order jacket, as she pulled her hair into a tight up-do.

“Your turn,” she hummed, tumbling into the empty living space.

Disappointment touched her features, seeing the general had already left. In the past he would have at least left a note, but usually he’d sit on the couch until he could properly clean up. Oh, how things have changed. She didn’t dwell on it too much, seeing the bright red lights, flickering 0330. She still had five minutes to make it to the kitchen and start breakfast, a time limit she was determined to make. Joline bolted out the door, once she made sure all her articles of clothing were on, and to the general’s liking. 

Moments later Joline landed on her bottom, a wince evident on her features. In her rush, she hadn’t heard the low thumps of leather boots on the smooth metallic surface, nor did she see the masked Knight walking through the halls. 

“I-I’m so sorry,” she purred, looking up to Kylo Ren.

“Here’s the information you asked for.” He sighed, starting to walk away again. “Be more careful next time.” 

A sound, much like dripping water echoed from her pocket, drawing her attention away from the dark figure. In the top right-hand corner of her datapad, flashed a small envelope, with Kylo Ren’s name. The thought was an amusing one, he was the farthest person she’d imagine would oblige her request, and yet he was the first to answer the call. Two more envelopes appeared soon afterwards, one from Phasma and the other from the general. Armed with a smile, Joline pushed herself back to her feet, and carefully headed back to the shoot. She may have not won the war, but she had won her first battle.

Joey,

I’ve requested for First Order blacks to be sent to your room later this evening. Those should help you adjust to space temperatures. Have a good, official, first day.

Armitage. 

Though sterile to most, Joline knew that all the care in the galaxy was typed in that message. Her smile brightened even more, as she tucked the pad back into her pocket. It felt like the first day of school, little jitters pulsing through her body and the silly worry of making a good first impression. Today was her first full day where the chefs could see her function under pressure, see how she handles the long hours of kitchen duty. They had fun yesterday, getting to know each other, but today she had to prove she was worth all the trouble. 

“Good morning,” Joline half sang, skipping into the employee entrance.

“Morning.” Tremarc grunted, as his finger pulled his long silver hair back. “There’s nothing good about it.”

“Don’t mind him, Joey, Tre isn’t much of a morning person.” Viloli chuckled, rounding the corner. “How did you sleep?”

“Well, and yourself?”

“Not long enough.” Viloli nodded to the small coat rack on the wall. “We’ve put up your name and an apron on your hook.” 

Wordlessly, Joline walked over to the wall, Joline in neat print marked where her hook and small six-inch by four-inch cubby. The idea of a cubby in a kitchen was an amusing one, why would a chef need one inside the kitchen? Inside the small space lay a small black and gray package, with a bright red card. Her bright eyes danced to the analog clock in the corner, she had fifteen minutes left to start and finish breakfast, there was no time to fool around with this gift. For now, Joey would put it out of her mind, and maybe open it later. 

“Okay, let’s take a quick look at the preferences.” Joey purred, pulling out her Data Pad.

Phasma list of dislikes took up most of the page, giving Joline a lot to figure out about the tall blond woman. Kylo Ren’s, however, had barely any information at all. The young chef sighed, her pearly whites nibbling on her bottom lips -something she often does while deep in thought. How on earth was she going to feed these people?

“Ok, so the General first.” She sighed, pulling out the ingredients for his omelet. 

“Oh dear, the general doesn’t eat omelets.” Viloli hummed thoughtfully, as she passed the station. 

“He’s very picky about the cook, but he enjoys them when they are made well.” Joey smiled. “His nanny taught me how to tell when it’s cooked perfectly.”

Viloli looked unsure about the situation but took the answer none the least. The Mandalorian’s fingers tucked an awkwardly long -yet impossibly short- red tress of bang into her hair net, before going back to prep work. Her features were sharp and angular, much to the typical Mandalorian physique, the only difference being the large childbearing hips of hers. Joey didn’t often stare at her kitchen co-workers, but her eyes would dance over, every so often. 

“What are you going to make the Captain and Commander?” Tremarc yawned out, a large cup of coffee in hand.

“Captain Phasma mentioned liking Oatmeal, so for today I was going to make that. Tomorrow could be dedicated to playing with her tastes.” Joey purred scooting the Omelet onto a clean plate. 

Before moving on to the oatmeal dish, Joey slide the used dishes into the sink, vowing she’d clean those when she got back. She made quick work of chopping the fresh fruits and nuts, to top the boiled oats. Sprinkling in a little Mable syrup and brown sugar, Joey turned her attention to Kylo Ren’s lists. The dark-haired woman sighed, she honestly preferred too much information, then not enough. Seven more minutes till she had to finish up the food. With so little from the Knight, she decided to start with the basics. Being one of the heads of the ship, he’d need something mobile.

“Burrito it is.”

The other chefs gave her an amused glance, before continuing with their duties. It was time, just as Joline slide the last of the food on a plate, a look of accomplishment touched her features. In many restaurants, it was common practice to have a chef work up the ranks, once being a bust “boy” and now a Chef -either sough or head. Joline, often moonlights as a waitress when there weren’t enough. Her fingers pulled the plates into a safe position along her arms, as she marched for the door.

“Where are you going?” Tremarc half shouted. 

“Uh… to the Officers lounge area?” She questioned, as if it were obvious.

“Here,” Viloli hummed, walking to the small ship screen on the wall. “The last chef always checked on their positions. The General and Commander don’t get a long, so they are often half a ship away from each other. Phasma on the other hand, is obsessed with making sure her men are ready for a surprise attack. She’ll probably be in the training hall.” 

“Oh, thank you for the heads up.”

Viloli chuckled, seeing Joline glance from the control panel, to her arms, and then back. “So, what you’ll do, when you have free arms, is type in your id number like so…” she hummed typing in a series of numbers. “and then select the person whom you are looking for. Captain Phasma is in the training room, the general is in his office, and Commander Ren seems to be going to his personal training room.” 

“Thanks again.” Joey hummed happily.

“I can send people with you…maybe lessen your load.”

“No need, I’ll only be a moment.”

Unlike the night before, the halls burst with life as the Stormtroopers marched around. Their uniforms shining in the lights, as they went to and from the showers, or towards the mess hall -in the hopes of getting food before training. Joey smiled brightly, when one trooper held the shoot for her to board. If she weren’t in the middle of doing something, she probably would have started some sort of conversation, but she had to remember where the training room was.

“Are you going to Captain Phasma?” the trooper hummed beside her.

“I am,” Joline nodded, glancing up. “I’m also very terrible when it comes to my sense of direction.”

“We are heading to the training area and can show you the way.”

“That would be great,” she hummed, wanting more than anything to shake his massive gloved hand. “I’m Joline, and if I could, I would shake your hand.”

“FN-2187.”

Almost instantly her nose crinkled, as her features scrunched into a mask of confusion, only momentarily forgetting about the ordinance. No names, for certain people in the First Order. It kept their individuality away, a distraction from the war. It kept their loved ones safe, their mind on the war, and a subtle reminder of what life was like before the First Order. Chaos, Jedi were killing everyone, wars were breaking out to destroy the Republic. No, no one here wanted to return to those days. 

“Let’s go Ms. Joline.” FN-2187 hummed, walking from the shoot. “Captain doesn’t like waiting on her food.”

Joey rushed forward, not wanting to get separated from the men. Her fingers gripping tightly onto the plates. On second thought, she probably should have left the other’s foods under a hot lamp, but she did detest the idea of making multiple trips. Moments later they arrived at a room, which seemed half the size of the docking bay, with padding in the center and a few mirrors along the walls. This room, far colder than most, sang of hand to hand battle training. Joey knew that this floor was dedicated to training First Order men, but seeing a fraction of it, greatly astounded her.

“Captain is through those doors.” FN-2187 hummed, pointing to the far corner.

“Thank you, again.” 

Phasma sighed, hearing her doors open, her entire schedule off kilter due to a new batch of troopers. She was in no mood to deal with another last-minute change, nor one to be around others. Emperor Snoke would be here in six or so months, and she still had four battalions to train by then. Then there were the stresses of having to deal with the General and Commander, both of whom kept coming in to bitch about the other.

“What is it now?” She all but growled.

“Breakfast,” Joline’s bright voice danced through the dark gray room. “I’ve heard it’s the most important meal of the day. Good morning Captain Phasma.”

“Morning.”

The blonde woman turned, glancing at her companion for a long moment. As far as morning people went, Joey was by no means annoying, taking subtle hints to quiet down, something Phasma greatly appreciated. The new chef smiled again, placing the white bowl with oatmeal down in front of the Captain. 

“Viloli just started making coffee, one of the kitchen staff will be back with your thermos.” 

Magic words, Coffee, the mere mention brought a tired smile from the officer.” Thank you.”

“Have a good day,” Joey purred, skipping out of the room.

In all honestly, she had no idea how she was a morning person, since she’d never been one growing up. Though, having to do early mornings for years probably helped to train her. Phasma hummed some sort of a dismissal to Joey, before starting to bark training orders to her men, leaving the less than capable women to her job. As promised, there was another directional panel displayed near the shoot, this one a warm blue in color, rather than the sterile silver in the kitchens. Commander Kylo Ren’s position was the closest to the training level.

“Knock, Knock.” Joline half sang, as her fingers rasped against his door. “Commander, I have breakfast.”

There was no reply, just the echoes of troopers walking down the halls, as Joline patiently waited for some reply. It didn’t take much longer before the door opened with a quiet whoosh. Kylo Ren hummed, seeing Joey holding a mall plate and a large smile, he hadn’t expected her to be there when the door opened. Others wouldn’t have stayed long enough for him to make it to the door, no instead the last chef would have the tray sitting neatly on a droid. This girl, such an innocent thing, is braver -or stupider- than any other being on the ship. Kylo Ren grunted, watching as Joey’s hips swayed from side to side, waiting on him to say anything.

“Good morning,” she breathed, side stepping into his personal quarters. “I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I do want to apologize for any awkwardness I put you in yesterday, sometimes I get over zealous when I meet new people.”

Her fingers lightly placed the plate onto his counter space in the kitchen, taking in the stainless-steel manifestation of the small room. Despite Joey’s attempting to not judge, his room looked more like a prison than a place of rest. She cringed, almost instantly feeling bad for that line of thought, who was she to think such a thing, after all, all people had differences in options. That’s one of the reasons why she couldn’t get herself to fully hate the resistance, who knows how the universe would differ under their power. She looked to Kylo Ren after a long moment of waiting for a reply.

He stood quietly beside the door, looking at her blankly, as if waiting for something. Joline hummed, more apologies bubbling from her lips, as she stepped closer to his statuesque stature. Her mild ramblings danced with uncertainty, as her arms gestured around. If he were being honest, Kylo Ren wasn’t listening to a word she was saying, instead he was anxious for her to leave. She interrupted his conversation with his grandfather’s mask… if one could really call it that. 

“So, what do you say we start over?”

Kylo Ren glanced to her fingers, the tips barely inches away from his waist. His large fingers wrapped around hers, giving them a light shake, before jolting her small frame back towards the door. His eyes betrayed nothing, maintaining a steely stare, as the doors slid opened from behind her. There were many questions both he and the crew had about her but having her in his space… in his inner sanctum was unacceptable. Jarring almost. 

“Do not come in my room, without my permission, again.” His deep gravelly voice echoed.

“Oh, sorry…” Joey chuckled, moments before his door slid shut. “That…. Went…. Well?”

She murmured to herself, both eyes dancing around the halls. Whispers of Kylo Ren’s temper danced through the streets of Old Republic City, striking fear through enemy and ally’s alike. Joline hummed, unsure if he’d made the situation better or worse, but she didn’t have the time to focus on that, with two officers fed, her fingers pulled out the data-pad to find Armitage’s office. There was no doubt that, that’s where he would be, both according to his work ethic and the panels. With both a purpose and direction, Joey skipped through the halls, happy to see her friend again.

The bridge sang with a chorus of voices, people rushed from one part to another, as others shouted out answers. She’d never understood the organized chaos of it all, sure the kitchen was similar in ways, but it was her chaos. Moments passed, before another body rushed into hers, and accident they both found themselves profusely apologize for. She was in the way, intruding on the flow of things, and she knew it. 

“Good morning,” Joey breathed, once the doors opened. “I brought breakfast.”

“How Is your morning?” Armitage hummed, his eyes never once leaving the data pads in his fingers. “I hope you weren’t too terribly late this morning.”

“Only by a few minutes….” She replied, sinking into one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“I’ll try not to keep you up as late tonight.”

Joline sighed, feeling as if she were talking to his data pad, rather than her best friend. His father had often commented on how unprofessional that is, many times to both children years ago. Only now, she understood why it bothered him so much. 

“Am I bothering you?” She breathed, after a long moment.

“N-no, not at all. Why would you think that?” 

For the first time since she walked in, Armitage glanced up from his pad, worried that he had hurt her feelings in some way.

“I was just reminded of one of your fathers long winded lectures, about professional and unprofessional conversation etiquette.” Joey sighed, sinking into the slightly stiff chair.

“Your doctor is Tron Gran, he’s one of the best in the fleet.” Armitage replied, sending his companion an annoyed glower. “It’s very important that you go get assessed by him at some point today.”

“Do I have to?” she grimaced.

“Joey, it’s important.” 

“But- “

“But nothing young lady, you will go to the doctor at some point today.” 

Her bottom lip stuck out as a grumpy mask shaded her face at his fatherly tone. Armitage knew this face well, she’d given it to him many times throughout their teens years. Unlike now, Joey had been reckless as a teen, letting her immortality mentality guide her at times. It was, and still is, up to him to be the voice of reason. Now even more so. 

“Please, Jo-Jo.” He purred, voice softening, as he called her the most intimate of pet names.

The face always came first, the childish pout that nearly broke him every time. Next, she would show her stubborn temperament, something he’d hoped to avoid by calling her Jo-Jo. Then, after a short argument, she’d came to his commands.

“I don’t liken needles.” She retorted, redirecting her eyes to the window. “But I’ll do it for you.”

“No arguing?” Armitage hummed, eyeing her suspiciously. “Who are you, and what did you do to my preciously stubborn Joline?”

A huffed chuckle left the dark-haired woman, her eye rolling in an overly exaggerated manner. “I’m not just your Joline, not here,” she responded halfheartedly. “Now, I’m your employee, and I’ll never argue with you while on the ship…. Almost never.” She amended, like he very well knew she would. 

“Ah, this is professional Joline.” He smiled, “I haven’t met you yet, but I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

“Shut it,” Another eye roll. “It’s still me, I just won’t argue as much.” She paused momentarily. “I should let you get to work…”

“I have time.”

“Nope,” she popped the ‘p’, as she stood. “Eat, and we’ll catch up, when catch up.”

“Have a good day.”

“Don’t work yourself to death, I’m not sure if I want to work under Mr. Ren.” She grunted.

Unlike previous meals, Joey didn’t grace her commanders, instead opting to help her fellow chefs with their lunch rush. The three spend much of their prep time laughing as they worked, talking about accidents each survived in the kitchen. There’s a reason why kitchens are the most dangerous room of any home, and having it be one’s work place increased the chances of injury greatly. 

“Hey Joey,” Viloli hummed, wiping the sweat from her brow using her elbow. “Tomorrow the chefs were going to the bar in the recreational end of the ship, and you’re more than invited to come with u-.”

“We do it once a week to let off steam.” Tremarc said, butting in on the Mandalorian. “You know, if you aren’t up for it… since you’re new and all.”

“I’ll think on it,” Joey smiled. “Thanks for the invite.”

~*~*~

“The doctor says you never showed up today.” Armitage hummed, as Joey set his dish in front of him.

“Shoot! I knew I forgot something… sorry.”

Hux sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, half suspecting she conveniently avoided going to the doctor. She’d never been a fan of needles, and that’s all doctors were. The First Order required tests, before allowing new personnel on Star Destroyers, it helped detection of force sensitives and potential enemies. He could technically be fired for letting it slide. 

“It’s ok, go now.” He sighed, looking her in the eyes, with THE look.

“Will do.”

“Joline, I mean it.” Hux grumbled, dragging his fingers through his scarlet hair. 

“I’m going now General.”

Joey hummed happily, as she passed through the busy halls. Much of the staff danced around, going to their stations, as the others went to get the last of dinner before bed. Before heading to the medical level, Joey wanted to let the others know what’s going on. Thankfully she’d done a lot of her cleaning between dishes, making her disappearance a lot less inconvenient. The others danced around the kitchen, working on getting the kitchen perfect for the night shift. 

“Hey guys, I need to head go to the doctor…”

“Go ahead,” Viloli smiled, sending her female companion a wink. 

“Thanks, I’ll be here bright and early tomorrow.” 

Joline sighed, the heaviness of her nerves pulsing underneath her skin. Doctors meant needles, and needles had terrified her since she was young… A cool breeze trickled over her shoulders, drawing her from her line of thought before too much damage could be done. By force she couldn’t wait to receive first order blacks. For now, she pulled her data pad and followed the directions to the medical wing.

“Good evening Joline,” A rather listless sigh left the tall Falleen male. “I’m Doctor Tron Gran, and I’ll be your assigned physician. Per protocol, I need to give you a full examination, you need a few shots, and such…” he purred, a small smile tugging at his lips. “We are going to get to know each other fairly well.”

Joey blushed, at his insinuation, “Uh… well, everyone calls me Joey.”

“Well Joey, we’re going to start off with baby steps.” He responded, pulling out a number of sleek silver objects. “First we need your weight and height done.”

“I… uh…. Has Arm-“Joey intruded on her own thoughts, remember that she was working for Hux, not his house mate. “General Hux told you of my-“

“Aversion to needles? Yes, you don’t have to worry about that right now. First weight and height.”

Many points through the beginning of the inspection, Joey knew that Doctor Tron Gran was taking baby steps by the tired sigh leaving his lips. He grunted pulling out a data pad, filling out the new bits of information. As his fingers poked and prodded at her glands and features, he’d ask her very intimate questions. What planets have you lived on? Any allergies? All of which, she answered without batting an eye. Sooner or later would come the one question she always hesitated with.

“Okay, how many sexual partners have you had?” he hummed, just as she wondered when the question would come.

“N-none.”

He cocked a hairless brow at her, as if asking her to tell the truth. It’s not that she seemed like the type who would spread her legs to any male whom walked by, but she was a young woman in her mid-twenties. There had to be a lover or something during those years... right? Wrong, she grew up with Armitage -who took it upon himself to protect all aspects of her- and then there was working for a Galaxy famous chef after. No time, and no privacy did not make having sex easy.

“According to your paperwork, you were not outfitting with First Order birth control.” He breathed, moving on in the questionnaire. “It’s standard issue, and I’ll start you up right away.” 

“O-okay.”

Moments later, a tall blonde walked into the small room, a tray in hand. Joline was very familiar with the sterile object sitting in it, as for the eight vials of multicolored liquids not so much. Gren smiled weakly, pulling the silver needle gun from the tray. He wanted to take the blood samples first, after all, most people had the easiest time with that. All the patient was expected to do is look away, while the small vacuumed needle drew enough blood to do all the necessary tests, but needles in general sent Joey into a panic -according to the general- so for now the shots were most important. 

“We’ll start with the birth control, then do the rest of the shots.” He breathed, placing a small black object into the shoot of the gun. “That way, you’ll have the most painful over with.”

Fear flashed through her eyes, seeing the long needle glint in the artificial light. Now armed with the knowledge, of the birth control being the most painful, Joey slid farther away. It made sense though, being that instead of liquid being injected it’s a small medical device. One shot, once every three years didn’t seem too bad for baby prevention, or at least that’s how she rationalized it. Gren hummed, as he put the device together, giving Joey more than enough time to calm the ramping anxiety. 

“Ready?” he asked, once the small metal object was in place.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” 

“Let’s try laying you down,” he sighed, seeing the gentle shivers in her demeanor.

Joline’s breath shallowed, feeling the medical bed at her back, her eyes closed tightly waiting for the needle. Gren chuckled, his fingers lightly massaging her tense muscles, until he could feel them relax. The needle sank quickly into her skin, with no notice by the patient. The doctor hummed, making sure the six barrels were filled, before pulling the trigger. Simultaneously, the liquids empty, giving Gren time to exchange three of the empty vial as the small metal object slowly passed the narrow needle. 

“There you go,” he hummed, pulling the needle out of her arm. “If anyone is to ask, you’ve been cleared medically, and have been outfitted with all of the necessary vaccines.” 

“Oh, I barely felt anything.” Joey gasped, her fingers poking at the bright red prick hole. “Owie.”

“I suggest not touching it until the scab heals.” Gren grunted, thrumming his fingers against his knee. “Mainly, since the birth control can shift out of place. That would cause some issues.”

“Good to know. Thank you.” 

“If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to shoot me a message. I normally answer within an hour or so.” He hummed, as his fingers took apart the medical gun. 

“Thanks again, have a great night.”

“You as well, Ms. Joline.”

The halls echoed with the distant steps of stormtroopers, as she made her way back to her room. Days had to be boring, doing nothing but rotations and training, only having a designation and no name. Joey silently thanked the heavens she’d been rejected all those times. Her fingers played with the cloth bandage, as she floated to her floor, there was much she hadn’t thought about when she accepted Armitage’s invitation, and in these quiet moment silent trepidations bubbled from the dark recesses of her mind.

She half expected Armitage to be sitting on her couch, waiting to see how her day was when she walked in. Nothing. Her apartment was just the way she’d left it that morning, only a small light above her couch on, and a pair of blacks neatly folded onto the coffee table. Joey hummed seeing the clothes she’d heard so much about. No matter the weather, no matter the battle, uniform blacks keep our soldiers in perfect health, words from the radio commercials played in her mind as she held them up. Small beads of light echoed through the knitted fabric, as her fingers stretched and scrunched it. From the looks of the uniform, they were made for a muscular male, allowing some doubts in the once size fits all promise she’d heard years ago. 

“They shrink, to become fitted.” Armitage’s exhausted voice echoed from the front door. 

“SH…. It Armitage,” a half squeal left her lips, her fingers dropping the fabric to the ground and holding her rapidly beating heart. “You scared me!”

The corners of his lips pulled back ever so slightly, instantly missing the absurdly large home his father’s family lived in. Not for the people, nor the surroundings, but for the safety of the servant’s hall where he met Joey. 

“You shouldn’t be so jumpy missy.” 

General Hux splayed his fingers out, asking permission to enter her home -rather if he could come farther into her home. Answered by a node, the slowly walked in, allowing the door to hum shut. Eventually he knew the small apartment would morph more into her style, pops of color to warm the area, but for now it still looked sterile, distant from its owner. The dark couch welcomed his tired body, his body falling into the soft cushion with a quiet grunt. 

“Tell me about yourself.”

Almost instantly her shoulder tucked itself into his body, her face resting onto his shoulder and legs tangling with his. His musk going deeply into her lungs with each breath, and the light weight of his chin against resting on her forehead, calming her into lethargy. Both sets of eyes closing, just enjoying their moment of silence. Rediscovering each other, through the familiar touch.

“What do you want to know?” She finally asked, her lip brushing against the lapel of his jacket.

“Tell me about living alone?”

Bursts of air rushed across his neck, with the sounds of her chuckle. Neither was alone often as children, having either a maid with them or the watchful stares of his father and his wife. Her words came slowly, describing what her studio apartment looked like, and how her neighbor had many one-night stands. Floods of words danced between the two, occasionally intruded upon by a chuckle. Until nothing, both having fallen asleep mid conversation, in the same uncomfortable position as the night before.


End file.
